A. No. The owner shall use a fire suppression company that is certified in the State of Oklahoma to perform the inspection and maintenance on a private fire hydrant. Hydrants shall only be operated by trained and certified personnel who have knowledge regarding operation and proper maintenance of a fire hydrant.
Q. How often do I need to have my private hydrant serviced?
A. Private fire hydrants (all types) - Inspection annually and after each operation, flow test and maintenance annually.
Q. What happens if a hydrant is inspected and found inoperable?
A. All inoperable hydrants shall be taken out of service, bagged, and immediately reported to the Oklahoma City Fire Marshal’s office through our preferred record keeping method. Repairs are the responsibility of the property owner and should be completed within sixty days. If compliance is not achieved in 60 days, enforcement steps may be taken to include, but not limited to citations with fines. If there are any questions about enforcement of inoperable hydrants, please call 405-297-3584.
Q. What is a private hydrant permit and what does it cost?
A. A private hydrant permit is an official document issued by the Oklahoma City Fire Marshal’s office that is required to remove from service, use, or operate a private hydrant. The cost of the permit is $85.00.
Q. What is the difference between a public and private hydrant?
A. Public hydrants are those that are on public property and the city is responsible for maintaining the hydrant. They are commonly seen on public streets and property positioned to allow easy access to the fire department.
Private hydrants are those that are on private property, connected to a private water main, or were installed for new construction at the cost of the developer which are owned and maintained by the owner. Private hydrants are typically installed when the distance between the building or property and the closest public fire hydrant is too far for the fire department to access.
Q. Who can I contact to see if a hydrant is public or private?
A. You can contact Utilities helpdesk at 405-297-2666.
Q. Who is responsible for maintaining inspection or maintenance reports?
A. The maintenance reports will be submitted to the Oklahoma City Fire Marshal’s office by the contractor you hire for inspection, testing, and maintenance of the private hydrant. However, the property owner should keep a copy of the most recent maintenance report for their records to be available to the fire code official upon request.
Q. Who is responsible for painting a private fire hydrant?
A. Oklahoma City Fire Department cannot require an inspection company to paint private hydrants. The owner can choose a separate contractor to complete painting or do it themselves. Private fire hydrants must be painted canary yellow (ffef00).
Q.I received a letter from the Oklahoma City Fire Marshal’s office notifying me that I have private fire hydrant(s) overdue for inspection, testing, and maintenance. What does this mean?
A. Your property/site was identified by the Oklahoma City Fire Department as containing private fire hydrants. The fire hydrants located on your property are considered private fire hydrants because they are either located on private property, connected to a private water main, or were installed for new construction at the cost of the developer. These fire hydrants are the responsibility of the property owner to maintain in operative condition at all times per the International Fire Code and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 25, as well as the City of Oklahoma City Ordinances.
